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(No Model? G. P; HERNDON. Electrical Indicator for Letter-Boxes.

No. 228,071. Patnted-May 25,1880.

ATTORNEY,

NPETERS, PNOYCkLllI'IOGRAPHERv WASHlNGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. HEBNDON, OF WEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO ALDEN B. HURT, OF IVASHINGTON, D. G.

ELECTRICAL INDICATOR FOR LETTER-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,071, dated May 25, 1880.

Application filed March 30, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. HnnNnoN, of West Point, in the State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Letter-Boxes and Indicators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention relates to letter-boxes for dwellings, 850.; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of devices for indicating at any desired point in the house that mail-matter has been deposited in the letter-box at the door, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, which fully illustrates my invention.

A represents the letter-box, which is provided with the opening a, for the admission of the mail-matter. This opening is closed on the inside by a plate, B, rigidly attached to one arm of a bell-crank lever, O, which is pivoted at its angle to a bar, E, secured inside of the box. A spring, D, is also connected to this arm of the lever for holding the plate B closed. The other arm of the lever 0 has a wire or rod, F, attached to it, and passing up through the top of the box or in any other suitable manner, so that by pulling thereon the plate B will be raised from the opening a and admit of the insertion of the mail-matter.

G represents a box or casing, which may be of any form or shape desired, and more or less ornamented, and may be located at any place within the house. This box or casing contains abell or gong, H, and has in its front an opening, 7). Above this opening in the box is a horizontal shaft, (1, provided with a plate or flap, I, upon which is to be the word Mail or Letters, or any similar indication.

One end of the shaft (1 is placed in an elongated slot, 00, in the side of the box, and has a suitable handle, by means of which the shaft may be turned to raise the plate I when (No model.)

the shaft is moved backward in the slot until an arm, It, projecting from the shaft, will come in contact with a stop, 6, and thus hold the plate I at right angles with the opening I).

WVithin the box are, further, two hammers, L L, one for striking the bell and the other for striking the shaft (1. These hammers should be provided with any of the well-known mechanical means for causing them to strike when an electric circuit is completed, as hereinafter described.

J represents an electric battery, from which one wire, m, runs to the hammer or the mechanism connected therewith, and another wire, m, runs from the battery to the lever O. A third wire, m connects the hammers with an insulated point, a, on the bar E.

When the plate B is down the electric circuit is broken 5 but when the rod F is pulled to raise said plate the spring D or any part of the lever G is made to come in contact with the end of the wire m which completes the circuit and causes the hammer L to sound the alarm, while at the same time the hammer L strikes the shaft 01 and moves the same far enough forward to release the arm h from the stop i, and the plate I then drops down, so as to indicate by sight as well as by sound that mail-matter has been Eput in the letter-box.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the letter-box A, having opening a, bell-crank lever O, with plate B and rod F, the spring D, and an insulated point, n, with electric wires connected to an alarm and indicator, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. In combination with a letterbox and electric wires, substantially as described, the box G, having opening I) and slot 00, the movable shaft d, with plate I, the bell H, and hammers L L, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of March, 1880.

GEO. 1?. HERNDON.

Witnesses:

H. AUBREY ToULMIN, H. J. ENNIs. 

